Woodway had refused to negotiate with Marco and his cause. Drilling and fracking would continue. It took an hour before Marco had calmed down enough to listen to Walter’s suggestion.
“Contact my daughter. She’ll pay a ransom to get me back.”
Marco had narrowed his eyes, but then spit at Walter’s feet and turned away.
Walter pushed the memory away, took a deep breath, gathered his legs under him, and then stood. Shaking and clutching at a low hanging branch, he balanced on cramping legs, his knees threatening to give at any moment.
The rest of the men, about ten of them, formed up, tossing backpacks on, straightening guns and machetes. He fell into the middle of the pack, trained to do what he needed to do without tasting his own blood, to survive.
Marco strode to the back of the group, rifle in hand, and signaled with a sharp, piercing whistle for the troop to move out.
Walter trudged forward, keeping a small distance between the man in front of him and himself. That man carried a holstered pistol and a machete. How many times had Walter fantasized about taking the gun and shooting them all, like some hero in an action movie? But he was no hero. He was an upper management executive, even if he knew his way around guns and hunted often.
He’d never liked the idea of fighting, of hitting someone. He hadn’t even spanked his kids. Shooting someone? He didn’t think he had it in him.
How in the world did Billy go into the military?
Maybe that’s where he went wrong with Billy. Not enough of a strong hand with him. Once Billy hit his teens, he’d defied Walter more and more often. Enlisting had been the last straw.
Billy refused to listen to Walter. He and that best friend of his, Logan. Walter growled low in his throat. Logan’s influence had been stronger than Billy’s own father. Billy, tagging along with Logan, had gotten his first tattoo before he was legal.
Logan had stolen Billy from him.
Walter closed his eyes and pictured the black barbed wire tattoo curling around his seventeen-year-old son’s upper arm. Billy had been so proud of it. Walter had been…pissed. If he was honest with himself, he’d been jealous of Logan. Of his influence over Billy.
Until Billy left with Logan to report to boot camp.
Then the jealousy turned to rage. He’d cursed Logan’s name.
And when the military told him Billy had been killed in combat, Walter’s life had collapsed. His only son—gone. All Walter’s hopes and dreams for his son’s life and future crushed by an IED on a nameless road.
Fuck the military, and fuck Logan Speers.
Chapter Six
At two in the morning, Max ordered them all to get some food and sleep. He went upstairs to his rooms, and the rest of the men raided the garage’s two refrigerators for drinks and leftovers. After they devoured a couple of sandwiches and a beer each, they went to the garage and pulled out their stash of sleeping bags from a large locker.
They’d spent many nights working overtime here at the garage to get some of their vehicles ready on time.
Rowdy and Travis headed outside to sleep under the stars. Jake went to his workshop where he slept on a cot. Logan and Gunnar tossed their bags out on the office floor where the air conditioning kept them cool.
They’d learned in the military to sleep when they could, no matter what the conditions. Eat, sleep, and keep your feet dry.
Logan pushed the thoughts circling his head to the back, and welcomed sleep. He’d set the alarm for six a.m., enough time to wake, go over their intel, and come to a decision about going or not.
»»•««
The alarm on Logan’s phone went off, beeping along with the other alarms set by his squad. Gunnar groaned, rolled over, and turned off his phone, just as Logan did his.
The echoes of the alarms ended as each man woke.
There were two bathrooms in the building, one in Max’s quarters and one in the garage next to the office. A short line formed at the garage toilet. Gunnar, Logan, and Jake.
Rowdy and Travis came in from outside and headed to the office, Rowdy’s limp more noticeable than earlier. Sleeping on the ground couldn’t be good for his rebuilt knee. Guess they’d used the great outdoors instead of standing in line. One by one, the men drifted to the office where Max waited.
“So, where did we leave it last night?” Max sat behind his desk looking only a little better than the others.
Logan walked over to the whiteboard and started laying out what they’d gathered. He posted Travis’s info on getting in, getting out, the cargo plane to Brasília, their passports, and the cargo manifest. Nothing hard about his plans. Money talked.
Then Gunnar laid out the list of supplies needed, showing what they had in house and what they’d have to purchase and its cost. Below that, Jake added his accounting of what weaponry they’d need, what he had, and what he’d like to have.
For Logan’s part, he’d estimated the cost for the adventure, including the funds needed from the lists to the lost time from closing the garage for a week. Anything over seven days and they’d start losing money. Fast. And with no guarantee Shae’s father would pay for his own rescue, money would be pouring out faster than sand through a sieve.
Max stared at the board. “Okay. We can afford one week. Any more than that and we’re eating into the garage’s profits, which means no one gets paid this month. Unless Shae can come up with some money.” He glanced at Logan, who only shrugged.
“I can’t make promises for Shae or her dad, but she did say she’d pay a ransom. I’m not sure how much she’d be able to get her hands on.” He shrugged.
“Fair enough.” Max tapped the board with his knuckles. “So, we’ve gone in with less. What do you guys think? Remember, all or nothing.”
Gunnar grunted. “I’m good with it.” His gaze darted to Jake, who scratched at the day’s growth of beard, and then back to Max.
Max nodded. “Logan, I know you’re a go.”
“Yeah.”
Their leader looked to Travis. “You?”
Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m for it, but I’m worried.” He glanced at Jake. “I’m not sure this is the best thing for Jake.” Then he jerked his head at Rowdy. “Or him.”
Jake’s lips turned white.
Rowdy raised his head and rolled his eyes. “Don’t baby me, Trav. I’m better. Lots better. I can hold my own.” He touched his knee. “This titanium bitch is working fine.”
“You’re limping.” Travis frowned. “How the hell are you going to hike through the fucking jungle, much less run?”
Rowdy flipped him off. “Who says we’ll be hiking in the jungle? Besides, it’s just stiff in the mornings, like my dick. I can hack it. Been doing my exercises. Walking.” He looked to Max. “Count me in.”
Travis snorted.
Max’s lips thinned. “Okay, Rowdy. Don’t make me regret it.”
Rowdy nodded.
It came down to Jake and Max. No one ever knew which way Jake would jump, but Max was their leader. If he said no go, it was all over. Logan held his breath.
“Jake?” Max softened his voice. “I worry about you, more than most.” Max never gave anyone slack, and the men respected him for it. “I promised you when you came here not to ever put you in a place of danger. However, I promised Logan all or nothing. I wasn’t thinking.”
Jake didn’t say a word, just nodded.
“And we both know this mission is dangerous. I hate to put you in this position, and frankly, if you don’t go, I’ll send Logan and the others and stay here with you. Understand?”
Jake nodded again, his lips still tight and thin.
Max leaned forward. “I’d rather go back on my promise to Logan than to you. However, if you think you can handle this, if you want to work this mission, if you think you’re ready, then I’ll back you. Your decision. Just be damned sure, because I can’t have you falling apart in the middle of this.”
“I understand.” Jake looked over to Logan. “When you brought this
up yesterday, I have to admit, I had…feelings. Sort of scared. A lot of excited. More excited than scared. I slept on it.” He ran his hands through his hair and exhaled. “What I think is if I don’t do something soon, I’m going to go outta my mind. Maybe eat my gun. I hate…hate not being in the military. Hate it. I’m not made to be a civilian.” He glanced to Max and shrugged. “Three years. Three fucking years.” He sighed. “Max, you saved my life, bringing me here. I owe you my life. But I need more of a purpose than just working on keeping our wealthy clients safe. I need a mission. Like this.” Jake grinned. “I’m in. And I promise, I won’t fall apart, no matter how bad it gets.”
Logan blinked. He knew Jake had been on the edge, but he’d been wrong about why. From the looks on everyone’s faces, including Max’s, they didn’t either. Oh, they’d joked about it, but hearing Jake say it aloud? Fuck. Jake had kept it down so deep inside, he’d hidden his feelings from them all.
Max held out his arms, as if he were hanging on a cross. “Well, that’s it, then. Tell Shae we’re in.”
Logan grinned. “Thanks, guys. I know she’s going to appreciate it.”
“Just make sure she’ll pay for the overages,” Travis grumbled.
»»•««
After a quick breakfast, the men went back to their work, and Logan stepped outside for some fresh air and Texas heat, but mostly for the privacy. A part of him worried Shae would turn down his offer of the team.
He leaned against the hut in the shade of the morning sun as he punched in her number. He tapped his boot heel against the ground as he waited for her to answer.
Would she be happy to hear his plan or tell him to fuck off?
“Hello?”
“Shae?”
“Yes. Logan?” Her voice sounded stronger, clearer, with no tremble of the other day. Maybe she’d had a good night’s sleep. Maybe she’d heard from her dad.
“Did your father contact you?”
“No. Nothing.” She exhaled, and the whoosh of breath came through the phone.
“Right.” Logan’s words spilled in his rush to explain. “In that case, I wanted to lay out something for you. A plan to help you find your father. I hope you won’t think I’m overstepping my bounds here, but—”
“Wait! Take it slower.” She huffed. “My head is already spinning, and you’re not helping.”
“Right. Sorry.” Logan took a deep breath and let it out. “You know Billy and I were part of the same squad in the military, right?”
She gave a soft, “Uh-huh. He never talked too much about the stuff he did, but he did talk about the men he served with. They were like brothers to him, and well, you were his best friend.”
Logan paused, grateful for her kind words, especially for the others.
“So these guys, the squad, even though we’re out of the military, we work together. At a place called Maximus Garage. And each of them has a set of skills—military skills—we use to rebuild vehicles for clients.”
“You want to rebuild what? My dad’s car?” She snorted.
“No. Please. Give me a chance to explain.” Logan paused again to gather his thoughts. He wasn’t a smooth talker like Gunnar. “These guys are experts in getting in and out of tricky situations in foreign countries. Like Brazil.” He waited for her to catch on.
“So…you want to use these guys to help find my father?”
“Exactly. If you agree. We already have a few leads.”
“Since last night?”
Logan smiled at the surprise in her voice. “Yeah. We’ve been working on it most of the night. Gathering intel, looking at satellite imagery, intercepting correspondence from the company.”
“Wait!” She took a deep breath, but her words came out in a whisper. “You hacked into the company’s computer system?”
Logan couldn’t tell if she was mad or excited. “Well, just into their email.”
A long silence filled the air.
“You’re really serious about these guys, aren’t you? Were you like some covert ops group?”
“Yeah, something like that. I explained to them what you think happened, and they agreed to look into it. This morning they agreed to the mission.”
“Mission?”
“To find and rescue your father in Brazil. We think there’s a chance he’s being held by a radical group of eco-terrorists with a grudge against the oil company.”
A rush of air came over the phone. Logan didn’t know whether to keep talking or stop.
“You found evidence? Of his kidnapping?” Now her voice wavered and deepened.
“It’s pretty clear from the emails. They asked Woodway to stop all drilling and fracking activity on and offshore. We might be wrong, but we’re pretty sure Woodway rejected the ransom. And the US government won’t bargain with hostage takers. If you want your father back, we need to go to Brazil and check it out on the ground.”
“You’d do that for me? For Billy?”
“Yes. Shae, I promised Billy to take care of you.”
“I don’t need taking care of, Logan. I’m all grown up. I need someone to help me find my father.”
“It’s the same thing.” Logan frowned.
“No. My father needs help, and I’m doing what I have to do to help him. If that means sending your men on a mission, so be it. I assume I’m paying for this. I can get up-front money of at least ten grand today. I can arrange to get up to five hundred thousand, maybe more, for the ransom.”
Logan whistled. “That’s a lot of cash.”
“I have access to almost all of my father’s accounts. He’s a very wealthy man.”
“We don’t need the money right away. Will you have access to it in Brazil if we need to pay the ransom?”
“Yes. His bank is in Brasília also.” She gave a nervous laugh. “What about your team’s fee?”
“How about if we find him, bring him home, and then we’ll talk about a fee on top of expenses.” He figured this would make it easier for her if she didn’t think she had to pay.
“No way.” She exhaled. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m coming to meet you and these men. We’ll discuss the plans. I want all the details and costs laid out before I make a decision. If I think it’ll work, I’ll front the costs, up to a certain amount, and we will draw up a contract. I don’t want any surprises after this is over.”
“Are you saying I’d try to cheat you?” Logan reeled from her words as if she’d bitch slapped him.
“No. But I want to be protected. My father is worth a lot of money, but he’s not going to be an endless fount of cash, not for anyone.”
Logan shook his head. Shae blew his mind, but if he stepped away and took a look at this from a business point of view, she was right. Lay out the terms up front in a contract. That way, everyone was protected.
Especially if they failed.
Or her father didn’t make it back alive.
He closed his eyes against those thoughts.
“Okay.” He’d never thought about her coming here. His throat tightened at the thought of seeing her, hearing her voice, in person. Alive and…
“Fine. Email me directions and the time for the meeting. I want to be in Brazil by the end of the week.” She disconnected before he could protest.
Logan stared at the phone before shoving it into his front pocket.
Shae Walker had grown up into one hell of a woman.
How would the guys take her coming to the garage to work out the details? He really worried about Max and how he’d react to Shae’s demands for a contract.
Wait.
What the hell did she mean, “I want to be in Brazil by the end of the week?”
Chapter Seven
Shae hung up and slumped into her sofa as she held the phone to her chest. She groaned, letting her head fall back against the cushion. Had she lost her mind, telling Logan she had every intention of going to Brazil and fighting to get her father back?
These men he spoke about, they were former
soldiers. They knew how to fight, to use weapons. They knew how to kill.
What did she know about a military operation, except for what she’d seen in the movies and on television? Sure, she could shoot a handgun and a rifle, but growing up in Texas, who didn’t? The closest she’d come to killing was hunting deer. She’d gone for years with her dad to their hunting lease for deer season, and she’d even shot a wild hog bow hunting. She was no stranger to sitting in a duck blind for hours to make the perfect shot, or tracking through their land following hog trails.
But hunting people?
Shae shivered and then straightened her spine. She could imagine what her father would say, “Get a grip, Shae. Do what needs to be done.”
Hell, if they had her dad and it took a little bit of shooting to free him or defend herself, she wouldn’t hesitate to fire. If it was going to be them or her, she picked her.
She’d proudly inherited her father’s stubborn streak, and she had no intention of backing down. If it took her hiking her way through the jungle, swinging a machete, and fighting off a band of eco-terrorists to get him back, damn it, she would.
She had a lot to do to get ready. Passport, money, clothing, supplies.
Her phone rang, and she glanced at it.
Her best friend, Maddie Morrison, stared back at her as Maddie’s selfie duck face flashed on the screen. She thought of letting it go but knew it’d only make Maddie nuts, or even more nuts than she probably was now. Shae had avoided everyone just dealing with her dad’s dilemma.
Shae smiled and tried to sound normal. “Hey, Maddie. What’s up?”
Maddie growled. “What’s up? Seriously? Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for the last two days. I thought I’d have to come over there and rescue you from that dude you went out with last Saturday.”
“No way. He was…nice.” Shae shrugged.
“Nice is good. Why no way?”
Maddie insisted in being a part of Shae’s love life, as in a matchmaker. Shae loved her, but man, sometimes Maddie’s legal beagle mind-set drove her nuts. She wished Maddie would work on her own love life instead of Shae’s.
Logan Page 5
